OPEN PRISON ABSCONDS

Here we go again the media making a big thing out of open prison absconds. This tine it’ Sudbury and Kirkham. So why don’t that same media try, just occasionally, to writ something positive about such establishments. I’ve served sentences in Sudbury and I can tell you from experience that there are a goodly number of very positive things that could be reported, both within the prison itself and about what the inmates through the prison do to serve and help in the community.

You can be absolutely sure that no one absconds for the sake of it. There is always a reason. It may be something within the prison e.g drugs debts or pressures outside e.g family or other problems. One aspect of the open prison is that by its very nature there are far less welfare and supports services as there are in a closed establishment. Perhaps addressing that might reduce the number of absconds.

It could also be noted that the actual number of absconds is only a fraction of one per cent of the open prison population and whilst one abscond is too many our illustrious media really should get things in proportion.